


lucky strike

by pricklyteeth



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Bowling AU, Crack, Fluff and Humor, Glitter, M/M, Memes, Rivalry, captain junmyeon, personalized bowling bags, rookie and ace player yixing, shameless flirting, sometimes feelings, sports AU, there are some memes hiding in this fic, um beware of dad jokes, vine references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-05 22:23:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13397502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pricklyteeth/pseuds/pricklyteeth
Summary: Junmyeon hates losing to resident bowling champ Park Chanyeol, so he decides to recruit newbie Zhang Yixing to join his team, expecting to kick Chanyeol's team out of first place and to finally get a chance at Nationals.What he doesn't expect is to have feelings for his new player develop.





	lucky strike

**Author's Note:**

> [prompt #100]
> 
> so I don't know if this was completely off the mark but I sometimes had fun writing this so I hope the prompter likes it;; 
> 
> this fic is for everyone ♡ it's a little weird but hey

  
  
Junmyeon takes a breath, warming his hands together before fixing his hair in his car mirror with the tiny comb he always keeps on his dashboard. It’s slicked back today, with one curl framing his forehead. It’s important to look good. Makes people respect you.  
  
With one last flick of the wrist he’s out the door, taking his bowling bag, a pretty blue neoprene number with an embossed cursive “J” on either side. He closes the door with a slam, checks his watch. Exactly on time.  
  
The prospective recruits for this season are already out on the floor, as they should be. Junmyeon had watched them walk in, taking notes about their personalities. Some of them already lacked the confidence necessary to make the cut, but he’ll let them bowl to see what they’ve got. They’re all lined up right where he’d told them to wait in the email, though there are definitely a couple people missing.  
  
That’s always the case, though, isn’t it? People leaving things up to fate, not taking life by the bowling ball, as Junmyeon liked to say. Mostly to himself.  
  
“Look alive people,” he announces, as a form of greeting. He’s aiming for intimidating but friendly on a person to person level. “As I’m sure you know, I am the leader of the best bowling team around these parts, Lucky Strike. Now if I could just-”  
  
“Wait, I’m here, I’m here, so sorry, I kept missing the parking lot.”  
  
Another prospective recruit shows up, almost bumbling in. Junmyeon almost tells him to just forget it, since he didn’t think to show up on time like the other recruits, but then he sees his bowling bag. It’s purple, with lighter purple trim, an emphatic ‘ZYX’ emblazoned across the front, also purple.  
  
Junmyeon likes that. Team could use some more flare.  
  
All of the current prospects have basic bowling bags, some pretty nice, but none of them are customized. Everyone on his team now had to be convinced, besides Minseok. Minseok, at least, knew where it was at.  
  
“Alright, get in line,” Junmyeon allows, smiling tightly when the recruit bows a little at him. Respect, an important quality.  
  
“Now, if I could do a little roll call before we get started,” he resumes. “Kang, Daniel?” His eyes flick up to register the recruits as he goes down his clipboard. This one missed the trashcan on the way inside. Junmyeon isn’t sure he likes how uncomfortably confused he looks right now.  
  
“Seo, John?”  
  
“It’s Johnny. Uh. Sir.”  
  
Sir. Junmyeon kind of liked the sound of that. This one was dressed sloppily though, tripped before he walked in. “Choi Minki?”  
  
“Hi!” Mm. This one was confident.  
  
“Lee, Mark?”  
  
“Yessir, that’s me.” Promising.  
  
“Bae, Jinyoung?”  
  
“Ah, that’s me.” Quiet, but sometimes the quiet ones surprise you. Kyungsoo is a bowling monster.

“Lai, Guanlin?” Junmyeon looks up. “No Guanlin, alright. Dong Sicheng?”  
  
“That’s me.” Respectable enough. Dressed for the occasion, didn’t trip up before coming in.  
  
“Zhang, Yixing?”  
  
The one that walked in late looks up, holding up a V sign. “That would be me.”

 

There are a couple of real choice bowlers in this pick. Mark and Jinyoung are both really great, Minki has a surprisingly wicked arm. Daniel got in a good couple of spares, after he flubbed a round. However, there’s really only one choice here.  
  
“Alright, after seeing you all bowl several rounds, I’ve come to a decision.”  
  
Some of the prospects look antsy, some look like they’ve accepted their tryout as it stood. Some were indifferent.  
  
“You know,” Junmyeon begins. ”I used to just send everyone home and then I’d email or call the person who got in, because I figured it’d hurt people’s feelings less. But I’ve learned that it’s best to be upfront about this kind of thing, so those of you who are still in the game, still want to bowl and learn from this experience don’t just get a soft rejection. You get constructive criticism, and motivation to keep working at your craft, because honestly, there’s a lot of potential here today, and I don’t mean that lightly. I’m not telling you what you’re good at and bad at just for fun. If you’re serious about this, which I’d hope you’d have to be to think of joining my team, I’d take this advice.”  
  
Junmyeon turns his attention back to his clipboard. “Daniel?”  
  
“Yes sir.”  
  
“Alright, so the power is there, and the enthusiasm is there. Your form? Not so much. Watch videos, go to games. Practice, practice.”  
  
“Johnny. Practice everything. Your wrist. It’s in the wrist.”  
  
“Minki. Probably the most wicked curveballs I have seen in my time. Keep it up, Your accuracy could be impeccable, I’d really love to see you play league in the future. Thank you for trying out today, it was honestly a pleasure.”  
  
“Mark. Very evenhanded, super stable player with some trickshots. Also looking forward to seeing you play.”  
  
“Jinyoung, also a pleasure. Just gotta work on controlling the power. Aim’s all there.”  
  
“Sicheng. Your trickshots are impeccable, but you gotta work on stabilizing your form. You know, I really do look forward to seeing you lot come forward into league after you’ve honed your skills some, because again, that potential is potent, let me tell ya.”  
  
“Alright! Last but very certainly not least, Yixing.” Junmyeon pauses then, accessing his new player. He seems sharper, now that he’s really looking at him. “I don’t even know if I have to say it, you’re an ace. Stable across the board, strike after strike, trickshots, form, power, control, you’ve got it all. Well. Besides maybe showing up on time. Welcome to Lucky Strike.”  
  
Yixing’s answering smile is definitely promising; something between a smirk and a grin. Junmyeon definitely feels good about this one.

 

 

 

“Alright, I’m going to need you all to make Certain that you don’t scare him away. He’s an all star player, and we can’t afford to lose that with tournament season around the corner.”  
  
Tao looks up from where he’s laying across Sehun’s lap, where he’s on his phone, probably texting none other than Sehun. Junmyeon has decided a while back to stop nagging them both about using their phones because they manage to listen all the same. “Isn’t this the same lecture we got when Minseok was coming back from taking leave?”  
  
Sehun pipes up too, setting his phone down on Tao’s back. “Yeah, did you really call a team meeting to tell us our new guy is too good for us and we have to behave, because we’re fine.”

Sehun shifts forward on the bench and Tao falls promptly on his face, beginning to caterwaul immediately from where he’s sprawled out on the floor. There is some time dedicated to making sure he’s okay, and then some coddling on both Sehun and Junmyeon’s part.  
  
After Tao and Sehun are both upright, (neither Minseok and Kyungsoo had really moved from their positions at the table, where they had been watching this exchange, Minseok crushing his water bottle in his grip to squeeze water into his mouth) Junmyeon resumes his talk.  
  
“In any case, I’d really like for us to bond with Yixing, make him feel welcome and really want to be here and part of this team. Play nice,” he warns, mostly directed at Tao and Sehun. They’re Lucky Strike’s troublemakers, though Junmyeon loves them very much and they contribute a lot in terms of team dynamic.  
  
They answer with some grumbles of “Yes Captain,” which is about as good as Junmyeon is likely to get.  
  
They’re not bad teammates, exactly, they’re just. Mischievous and accident prone, which is why despite their technical skill, Lucky Strike has been chafing against their league rivals—Great Balls of Fire, Park Chanyeol’s team. Even thinking about the guy is making Junmyeon grimace.  
  
“Don’t make that face, captain,” a voice calls from some distance away. It’s Yixing, Junmyeon sees as he looks up.  
  
Junmyeon frowns, confused. “Why not?”  
  
Yixing flounces over, a smug grin on his face. “Because you look prettier when you’re not scowling like that.”  
  
In his surprise, Junmyeon misses the way Minseok squeezes his water bottle, getting water on Kyungsoo’s face.

 

 

Practice that day ended up going over pretty well, after some stilted introductions. His team didn’t know what to make of Yixing at first, and honestly, neither did he. Yixing didn’t seem to be shook up about it, so Junmyeon just took it as a personality quirk of some kind. Maybe Yixing’s just one of those kids that just says whatever comes to mind, and is forward with everyone.

He definitely seemed to be comfortable during practice, before he was shifting back into the serious mode Junmyeon had seen during tryouts. His game really was killer; he felt some pride at choosing him once he saw Kyungsoo’s nod of approval—Yixing had it down: form and score.  
  
Junmyeon had a really good feeling about this season. With Yixing, Lucky Strike might finally be able to push Great Balls out of finals and make it to the Open (and in doing so, bump Park Chanyeol from his title of all time reigning league champion).  
  
He takes a good look around his room, feeling nostalgic at seeing all the trophies he’s accumulated in the years he’s been playing. He keeps them there to stay motivated. Eye on the prize and all that. It’s been a long ride; he’s been playing since he was a tyke.

He lets out a sigh, seeing the most recent ones, a handful of silvers, some second place ribbons. They weren’t complete losses, after all you don’t get ribbons and trophies for _nothing._  

But to Junmyeon, they felt like failures all the same. He _hates_ losing to Park Chanyeol. Wants to wipe that smug grin right off his face.  
  
With Yixing, he reminds himself, taking off his glasses and rubbing at his eyes. With Yixing, they stand a chance.  


Come next practice, Junmyeon is in high spirits. He has a whole list of things he wants to get done to boost team morale, which includes a speech, properly indoctrinating Yixing into team traditions, and a meeting about when they’re going to have an after (or before) practice potluck.  
  
“Alright team,” Junmyeon calls out, sliding on his wrist guard. It’s for safety purposes. It also has sentimental value, since it was a gift from his father, and has ‘Lucky Strike’ emblazoned down the side. Junmyeon is nothing but a team player. “Everyone get over here, I need to take a picture for the ‘gram.”  
  
Tao takes out the mirror he keeps handy in his bowling bag to examine his face. “Captain, I’m afraid we can’t do that today.”  
  
“Tao it’s fine, I’m just taking first official practice photos today. It’s just going to be our shoes.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
Sehun looks up from where he’s cutting his toenails. “Give me a second.”  
  
Junmyeon lets out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll take the bags first.”  
  
He moves to collect everyone’s bowling bags, setting them around aesthetically on one of the retro tables that are trademark for their local bowling alley. Of course, someone’s bag is leaning on his. Before he can raise his voice though, he turns it, seeing the ‘ZYX’ across the front. Huh. He’ll let it go this time.  
  
He sets them around the table so that everyone’s bowling bags are arranged nicely in a circle. Everyone’s individualized bags are showing the unique color, style, as well as the names of their owners. His is that spiffy royal blue neoprene where Minseok’s is an icy teal, with orange accents on the piping and in the glitter floss embroidered ‘M’. Kyungsoo’s is a dark green with a typesetting ‘do kyungsoo’ tag in lowercase along the bottom right, by the piping. He had to be convinced against black, and only relented since Junmyeon said he’d buy the bag.  
  
Sehun and Tao’s went together; Sehun’s was silver where Tao’s was gold, and they both had a similar flashy insignia of their initials—most likely designed by Tao, screen printed by Sehun. Which left… Yixing’s. He set Yixing’s bag by his, displaying it towards the front. He snaps a picture, but also goes around to take a video of them around the table, Yixing’s bag last, putting it onto the team's instagram story. ‘New Ace Player this season? Watch out!’ he captions it, adding some gasping emojis and a sweat emoji for good measure. He’ll check if Great Balls’ account checks up in a bit. He knows they will, but he likes seeing it: the affirmation of the fact.  
  
“We ready?” He asks. Surely, Sehun should be done with his toes by now.  
  
“Yes captain,” Sehun calls over, pulling on a sock. Close enough.  
  
“Get your shoes on, I want an aerial shot of our shoes in some kind of color coordinated circle. We gotta look like a put together, but bonded team.”  
  
“Why are we still taking pictures,” Yixing tries to unsuccessfully whisper to Minseok. “Aren’t we going to start practice?”  
  
Junmyeon lifts a finger. “While I really appreciate your fervor, Yixing, this is actually a crucial part of the game.”  
  
Yixing looks taken aback, as if he thought Junmyeon was somehow beyond hearing him. There’s that eyebrow again. “How so?”  
  
“Everyone gather in.” The team gathers, and Junmyeon pointedly ignores the way that Kyungsoo rolls his eyes as he does so. Junmyeon snaps the picture, taking a look at it before scooting Tao’s shoes back just a tad. “Gotta get a perfect circle,” he murmurs, before taking it again.  
  
“Alright, to answer your question,” Junmyeon starts, everyone starting to break away from the circle to find seats again. This team. Yixing’s the only one still standing, looking confused, but alert. “I have to give you some history. See—I am sure you are aware of our rival team?”  
  
“Great Balls of Fire,” Yixing answers, looking sharp. Always looking so sharp.  
  
“Yes, right. We try to keep speaking their name aloud during team meets to a minimum,” Junmyeon warns. “They are our rivals. And an important part of any game, any _war_ , for that matter, happens off the field, off the court, out of the alley.”  
  
“I’m not sure I quite understand,” Yixing says, brows furrowing. Junmyeon appreciates that, his honesty.  
  
“You see,” Junmyeon starts, index finger and thumb coming together, as if he’s holding his point there (he read a coaching and speech self help book that stressed hand gesture). “Most of the game, happens-” he taps his temple, “up here. In your head.”  
  
“But what does that have to do with—”  
  
“Photos?” Junmyeon unlocks his phone, tapping on Lucky Strike’s instagram story. Among a couple of followers having seen the video, ‘Great_Balls_of_Fire’ is also listed. Junmyeon lets that sink in for a moment, enjoying Yixing’s expression. “See, they think it’s intel. They can pretend it’s a friendly competition all they like, act like checking up on us is a sign of good sportsmanship, but the fact of the matter is that they want to know as _much_ as they can about us so they can figure out their lineup and choose their strengths properly. As we would in kind, of course.”  
  
Yixing is nodding slowly, taking this all in. “I see.”  
  
“The thing is though, we can feed their intel with whatever we like. Something that can get under their skin. See, they don’t know you. They don’t know how you play, they don’t know what ‘ZYX’ stands for. Letting them know that you’re here points to a gap in their information, and that. Is going to eat at them every single practice. Those questions—’Who is he? What does he play like? Is he a real ace player? Where are they going to put him in the lineup?’ It’ll eat away at them. And that, is how wars are won. You understand?”  
  
Yixing’s eyes widen, mouth curling up into an incredulous smile. “That is… That is diabolical.”  
  
Junmyeon smiles. “You bet your ass it is. Welcome to Lucky Strike, baby.”  


Yixing adjusts splendidly. He learns the team chant and their handshake in record time, always shows up with his shoes polished (although they are sometimes untied), and regularly bowls turkeys. Besides Junmyeon himself, he’d say Yixing easily makes the greatest addition to the team.  
  
“And _that_ is why we cannot afford to lose to our rivals this season,” Junmyeon finishes.

He’s just wrapping up practice with a pep talk, and then they’ll move into meeting-slash-potluck time, since it had been decided that for whatever reason, the meeting would be better if there was food involved. As long as his teammates stay focused, Junmyeon honestly has no problem.  
  
“Minseok, phone. Please, it’s meeting time,” Junmyeon asks, paying for the pizza when the delivery guy comes in.  
  
“Alright, alright,” Minseok answers, pocketing his phone before starting to plate the kimbap he had brought for the potluck. Junmyeon’s a little worried his head hasn’t been as in the game as it usually is. He’ll talk to him later, he thinks, snapping pictures of the potluck, once it’s been arranged on the picnic blanket he’d brought for the occasion. 

Everyone gets extra helpings of the sweet potato pizza, which is always a favorite. Yixing’s dumplings are actually really delicious as well. Kyungsoo made his infamous fried chicken, and Tao and Sehun bought mini sparkling ciders, because Junmyeon said no to soju.  
  
He allows the team to indulge in food for a while, since practice ran long today and they did good work today, before he starts. “Alright everyone, as per tradition, I would like everyone to come up with a dare and whoever’s we decide to be the best, we shall choose. Starting from Sehun, please give us your dares.”  
  
Sehun lifts his head, chicken leg still in his mouth. He (mostly) finishes his bite, setting the chicken down gingerly. Tao reaches over to wipe the sauce stain off the corner of his mouth. “Okay, so if the other team loses,” he says, giving a moment to build suspense. He has clearly thought about this one. “They have to wear their underwear outside their pants during tournament.”  
  
The circle breaks out into acknowledging ‘Ooohs’ (mostly Tao, maybe Minseok?) and hums (everyone else).  
  
Junmyeon nods. “Alright, seems promising. That’s a good start. Tao?”  
  
Tao claps. “Okay, so. I would like the opportunity to rubber cement glitter down their backs. Also for the other team to not wear shirts. So as to expose the rubber cemented glitter. What do you think?”  
  
The circle is quiet, everyone looking to Junmyeon for his opinion. It’s a little out there. Rubber Cement is serious stuff.  
  
Junmyeon purses his lips. “I don’t know if we can do that one; it might seem a little tacky-” he pauses, waiting for anyone to get it. Minseok lets out a snort. “Like the glue? No?” Minseok seems to be the only one vaguely amused. “In any case, I think the rubber cement might be a little much.”  
  
Minseok sighs. “Agreed, but do we have to publicly humiliate them, like, can’t we have them buy us dinner or something if they lose?”  
  
Kyungsoo nods. He and Minseok are always...doing that. Telepathically understanding each other and backing each other up. It's almost more creepy and weird than when Tao and Sehun on their phones, texting each other when they're next to one another. “I agree, underwear and rubber cement aside, why exactly are we participating in these dares anyway, can't we find a better solution-”  
  
Junmyeon interjects there. That’s a little too far. “You're missing the point, Kyungsoo, this is tradition, whether or not we choose an appropriate dare or reject dares altogether the other team will-”  
  
Yixing speaks up then. “I say we make them wear rental shoes,” he says, surprising them all.  
  
“Wow,” Junmyeon breathes. “That's... diabolical,” he says, aware that he’s borrowing Yixing’s phrase. “I was going to suggest maybe making them do a cheer for Lucky Strike but that's. That's just _perfect_.”  
  
Everyone else seems to agree. It's humiliating, but understated enough that it doesn't reek of Lucky Strike's bad composure. Even Kyungsoo is impressed.  
  
Junmyeon knew Yixing was a good addition to their team.  
  


Sooner than he knows it, it’s playoffs. League playoffs is pretty low pressure, since it’s less of a competition to get first than a competition to not be last. There are only four bowling teams in this league, and only the top three in the league advance to the next level of the competition, which determines whether or not your team has a shot at playing Nationals. During league games, Lucky Strike had always easily made top two. The real test came after.  
  
Either way, Junmyeon tries to keep his team sharp for playoffs. He blows his whistle sharply to get his teammates’ attention since they just got inside and set their things down (Junmyeon has to make sure to put down his stuff last because Yixing keeps setting his bag Too Close and it never seems like the Right Time to tell him not to do that. Like today, for example, is game day).  
  
“Alright team, gather round.”  
  
The members of Lucky Strike huddle in closer, Tao coming in to wrap an arm around Junmyeon’s shoulder, then Sehun following after. Yixing probably thinks this is another gesture of team bonding and does the same, Minseok wrapping his arm genially around Yixing's back because he's a team player.  
  
Kyungsoo stands outside the circle, brows furrowing, looking at the spot that's left for him with a mixture of disdain and confusion. "What is this, high school musical? When did we start doing this-"  
  
Junmyeon just pulls Kyungsoo in. "Just get in the circle, Kyungsoo."  
  
Yixing snorts at this, and for whatever reason, that puts Junmyeon in a good mood. "Alright chuckle heads. It's game time. You know what that means?"  
  
Kyungsoo lets out a sigh beside him.  
  
Tao wiggles beside him, glitter reflecting across his cheeks as he dips his head forward. "Can I do it this time, Captain?"  
  
"Sure you can, Tao," Junmyeon responds, feeling generous. It makes him feel proud that at least _some_ of his teammates care about team spirit.  
  
He can almost _feel_ Tao's answering grin. "Alright, who are we?" he asks, a little louder than he'd been previously speaking.  
  
"Lucky Strike," the rest of the team answers.  
  
"Who are we?" Tao asks again, louder.  
  
"Lucky Strike!"  
  
"Who are we??"  
  
"Lucky Strike!!"  
  
If this were a film, the camera would pan out to a huge crowd, roaring as the scene jump cuts to something interesting, like the game starting.

However, this is bowling, and the only people that turn up to things like this are dedicated friends and some fans, some of which are bowling hopefuls themselves. Sometimes family.

Also, because this is bowling, there's a lot of down time before anything actually starts because the judges for league games are notoriously late, old, and disorganized. Junmyeon never really understood why they were called judges when they really are just glorified commentators, but they're there regardless.

Tao punches the air a couple of times, hyped up, and everyone disperses to go sit.  
  
Junmyeon is about to go over to the cooler to grab snacks for everyone when he sees Park Chanyeol breaking away from his own team, heading over in his direction. Junmyeon straightens up, steeling himself with a put on smile.  
  
"Junmyeon!"  
  
Junmyeon's smile tightens. "Chanyeol! How are you!"  
  
"Doing alright, how are you," Chanyeol responds, beaming his absolutely too smiley smile. He's hiding something. Discomfort? Chanyeol gestures to Junmyeon's face. "You've got the glitter thing going again today!"  
  
Junmyeon nods, trying not to seem stiff. "Tao insisted. Team's really bonded this season, little war paint shows rapport, you know?"  
  
Chanyeol leans over, even though it's absolutely unnecessary to do with his height. It's not like he can't see straight over Junmyeon's head. Chanyeol's sizing up the team, even while wearing his dopey grin. Behind him, Junmyeon can hear Tao snapping at someone and Minseok trying to intervene, and tries not to cringe.  
  
Chanyeol just laughs jovially. "I can see that." A pause. "Your newbie seems to be doing alright," he says, jerking his chin up to point at Yixing, who's laughing at Tao's expense. For whatever reason, it looks like his makeup stuff's exploded and there's glitter all over the floor.  
  
For whatever reason, Junmyeon gets a little caught there, in Yixing's eye smile. It only lasts a second, but it's like a moment in slow motion. Yixing's laugh is so dorky, but it's also kind of beautiful.  
  
Chanyeol clears his throat behind him and then time picks up again, Yixing moving to help clean up and Junmyeon turning back to Chanyeol. "Huh? Oh yeah. Yixing? Yixing's great."  
  
Chanyeol nods at that, pursing his lips. Junmyeon doesn't like how he looks like he knows something he doesn't. "I'm excited to see him play today," Chanyeol responds, before straightening like he just remembered something. "Oh, right. Before I forget, terms of the dare?”  
  
“Same terms. Loser does the dare, winner gets to negotiate next round. If Lucky Strike wins, all of Great Balls has to wear rental shoes at tournament. That’s all, nothing too drastic.”  
  
Chanyeol whistles. “That’s actually a lot better than the one we came up with. Let’s just make it loser wears rentals all around, yeah?”  
  
Junmyeon nods. “That’s fair enough.”  
  
“Ah, I should get back to my team. Was good talking to you! Good luck out there today, though I don't think you'll really need it."  
  
The grin is back. Junmyeon gives him a smile of his own. "We already got it in the name, Chanman. See you out there!"  
  
Chanyeol leaves with a wave. Baekhyun, who had been watching the exchange, offers a wiggle of his fingers as well. Junmyeon waves back, mouthing a 'Good Luck!' It's really not that far away that he can't yell, but he's trying to conserve energy for the game.  
  
He turns around, noticing Tao's also keeping his eyes on Baekhyun. Junmyeon crosses back to the team before reaching down into the cooler, grabbing a juice pouch and going to hand it to him, whispering under his breath. "Crush him."

 

 

Soon enough, he's made pleasantries with the other two teams playing today, warmups are over, everyone's stretched and the game begins. Great Balls doesn't look like they've changed their lineup (afterall, it would be risky to anyways; if there needs to be a change in game order it would be strategically advantageous to do so _after_ you've seen your opponent's skillset, which wouldn't have been possible until today).

It's essentially what he'd envisioned; Minseok would be starting them off, because he's a very clean player, and despite what people think about letting your least skilled members out first, Junmyeon personally believes that starting the game strong sets the rest of your game up. Bowling is as much a game of physical strength, tactical and technical skill as it is a test of mind and spirit. Confidence is key, and Minseok inspires confidence. He's Lucky Strike's keystone.  
  
The first two teams' starters had already gone. He's keeping tabs on them, but so far, nothing particularly impressive. He thinks he recognizes someone from tryouts, but he's not too bothered.  
  
Minseok steps up to bowl, taking a short clearing breath, kissing his thumb before letting his bowling ball go. It's just like his bag, teal with orange accents, little triangles that fuse into interesting patterns as it rolls. It's a strike. That's the first lucky strike of the game. Minseok smiles, doing a pose when he turns around.  
  
"Yeah, baby!" Yixing calls out, clapping Minseok over the back when he comes back to sit, poking his tongue out.  
  
Junmyeon wonders when they got that close. He shakes himself out of it. His whole team is close.  
  
Jongdae, Great Balls of Fire's starter, also happens to get a strike when he plays his turn. The game goes like this for a while, sets matched point for point, turn after turn. Minseok with Jongdae, Sehun with Jongin, Tao with Baekhyun, Kyungsoo with Yifan, Yixing with Luhan, Himself with Chanyeol.  
  
Junmyeon tries not to be too bothered. Today is more just a gauge your opponent day than it is a competition, he thinks to himself, pretending not to see when Sehun and his rival Jongin bump shoulders as one exits the restroom and the other enters.  
  
Sehun takes his rivalry a little more seriously than he should.  
  
Incredibly, this happens all the way until the second to last set. He fingers his wrist guard, a little nervous. It's not really the fact that they could tie that is tripping him up. The issue is, even with uneven splits adding up to the same score, if he messes this up, and the other team has a leg up in terms of even one point, it'll look like failure on _his_ part.  
  
He blows out over the top of his bowling ball, trying to clear his mind. It's just him and the lane. Somehow, as he's winding it back, the pins start looking like Chanyeol's teeth and his posture falters as he lets the ball go.  
  
He gets the first gutterball he's ever gotten at a game in years.  
  
He manages to salvage his turn by knocking seven pins down after that, but he feels shaken, and he sees it in his teammate's faces as he's heading back to his seat.  
  
Junmyeon offers a tired smile, because honestly, it'll be over soon anyways. Yixing comes over to sit by him, and the simple act makes him feel supported.  
  
Kyungsoo knocks his shoulder into Junmyeon's, chewing on his bottom lip. That's his 'I'm unsure of how to conduct myself because intimacy sometimes makes me uncomfortable but I am here to comfort you' face. "Don't sweat it Jun, we've already beat out everyone else. The other two teams are competing against each other for who doesn't get last. Whether or not we get first is fine. We're already in for tournament and that was the goal, remember?"  
  
Kyungsoo's words, as calm and reassuring as they'd normally be, fade quickly in his memory as Chanyeol bowls yet another turkey.  
  
They have one set left, and Junmyeon can only hope that this is the set that Great Balls screws up too.  
  
"Hey," Yixing calls out, pulling Junmyeon out of the near paralyzed state that his anxiety was taking him with a gentle hand on his knee. Yixing squeezes comfortingly and Junmyeon looks over, suddenly feeling a lot more vulnerable.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't let them psyche you out. You're fine. Kyungsoo's right, we're still on for the next game, and this one isn't over yet. Just breathe."  
  
And somehow, Junmyeon is able to breathe.

 

 

They actually end up getting beat out by Great Balls by one single lousy point, and even though Junmyeon really shouldn't blame himself for it, he does.  
  
Because they had already given the terms of the dare, Lucky Strike's going to have to suffer the humiliation of rental shoes. Junmyeon did this. He did this to them all.  
  
He's caught up in a bubble of self depreciation brought on by this humiliation, scrolling through Great Ball's feed on instagram (mostly angrily hate-watching the likes increase on their last post, the 1st place league ribbon they won) when he accidentally taps something.  
  
It's Yifan's profile.  
  
Not only that, Kyungsoo's featured all over it.  
  
It's not super obvious, by the way that Kyungsoo is either off in the distance, or covering his face, but Junmyeon would know that traitor's perfectly round head anywhere. He goes to snoop on Kyungsoo's social media, which is...pretty empty to be honest. Kyungsoo doesn't update much of anything, before switching back.  
  
Maybe that's someone else.  
  
But that _must_ be Kyungsoo's crossbody shoulder bag. Also, who else so consistently wears black and only black?  
  
He'll bring this up during practice later.  
  
Of all the things, between all the people. More than anything Junmyeon feels confused. On top of betraying the team, just. Why Yifan?  
  
  
  
  
  
Kyungsoo is remorseless.  
  
"First of all, I don't really see why this is your  _or_ the team's business. Also I don't understand what the point of having a team meeting about this was—couldn't you have just, I don't know, texted me about this if you were curious?"  
  
Junmyeon tries to be patient. " _Because_ , Kyungsoo. This isn't just simply a breach between friends, it's a breach between you and the _team_. It's like lesson number one of war: No Sleeping With The Enemy! It makes you weak! We can't _afford_ to have emotional ties like that-"  
  
"Right, because last I checked, _I_ was the one fudging up our game because I was up against Yifan. Just admit you're blowing this out of proportion. _I_ can play fine. What this team _can't_ afford is losing me because its captain won't lay the fuck off."  
  
Junmyeon's eye twitches. "Do you not understand the gravity of the situation—the strain you've put me under as captain of this team? A team is supposed to be a tightly knit union of brothers, and in order to play The Game, you've got to put your team and your sport first. This has to be priority number one-"  
  
Kyungsoo's eyes cut over to him, somewhere between irate and disinterested. "Fucking calm down Junmyeon, it's bowling."  
  
Before Junmyeon can respond, blood starting to boil at Kyungsoo's indifference to the team, Minseok clears his throat. "Actually, I'm also seeing someone from Great Balls..."  
  
Tao gasps, having been quietly watching the argument volley between Kyungsoo and Junmyeon, both of whom have in different situations assumed leadership authorities, looking shocked at this development. "What the fuck. Is this allowed—what the fuck, is that allowed? Both of you seeing Yifan?" he asks, incredulous.  
  
Minseok's brow creases. "Stop, you ass, I'm seeing Jongin."  
  
It's Sehun's turn to gasp. "That's my Nemesis, Minseok. If there's anyone from Great Balls you shouldn't be dating, it's Jongin. Like, we actually have beef."  
  
Minseok rolls his eyes. "Is that why you two randomly make out in the bathroom when we're at comps?"  
  
Tao's jaw drops, looking to Sehun, eyes watery. "Is this true."  
  
Junmyeon doesn't know how much of this he can handle.  
  
"It was one time!" Sehun insists, dropping his hand to Tao's wrist. The puppy eyes are in operation. Junmyeon was honestly never very good at deflecting them.  
  
Minseok purses his lips, lifting a brow. "Mmhm."  
  
Sehun lets out a breath. "Okay, it was more than one time. But, but you're the first and only in my heart?"  
  
Tao looks up at Sehun, eyes brimming with tears before he yanks his hand out of Sehun's grip, running off to cry. Sehun chases after him, and Junmyeon really hopes they stop running once they get to the parking lot.  
  
Kyungsoo goes over to the window, cracking open the blinds. They distinctly hear Tao still crying and making general sounds of distress, and then Sehun yelling after him: "Why are you running. Why are you running?"  
  
Kyungsoo snaps the blinds back.  
  
They all know that it'll take quite some time for Sehun and Tao to calm down and start actually talking to each other, so in the meantime, Junmyeon tries to get the remaining members' attention. "Alright. Anyone else have any burning confessions?" he asks, sarcastic.  
  
Yixing raises his hand, and for some reason, Junmyeon's heart _really_ drops. He wants to stop him, but then he's already speaking. "Is there a rule against dating the captain?"  
  
Junmyeon freezes, getting blushy and flustered. That. Was not what he thought he'd thought Yixing would be saying at all. "Um. No..."  
  
"Just wondering," Yixing says, looking cheeks dimpling when he smiles that smug smile of his.  
  
Minseok crushes his water bottle to squirt some water in his mouth.

 

Despite not exactly rejecting Yixing when he first asked, Junmyeon tries to evade Yixing's further advances, feeling like it would be both hypocritical and improper of him to talk about priorities and then go and date one of his teammates, especially as captain.  
  
He's also not entirely sure what he feels about Yixing yet. Sure he's—good looking and just, generally attractive. He's kind and supportive, playful and a strange blend of humble and cocksure. He also does absolutely uncalled for things like taking his shirt off to clean up a spill when Minseok's bottle gets water on the linoleum.  
  
Minseok doesn't even spill things. Junmyeon is like 97 percent sure that his water bottle is spill-proof.  
  
In any case, he runs the team harder for all their infarctions in the time up until tournament. He can't forbid them from seeing anyone, but he can make sure they're so busy they won't have time to spend with any of their team's rivals.  
  
This also means that sussing out any of his feelings about Yixing is also off limits for himself as well. It's game season, and bowling takes precedent.

 

 

 

The tournament rolls around and everyone is slightly miserable. Tao's glitter feels more like a facade than ever, but it's still game time.  
  
Having to wear rental shoes doesn't particularly make it better or easier. They're stood in a row while the members of Great Balls takes pictures for their gram (mostly Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Jongdae) and Junmyeon just has a really awful feeling that they're not going to be peak today; that they really have no chance at Nationals like this.  
  
This game is far more serious than the previous one, and more teams are actually competition. King Pin are playing today; he saw Taemin earlier for sure, among other bowling teams that are better known from other leagues.  
  
His teammates seem to have come to the same conclusion; that today's going to end poorly. Junmyeon feels like a shitty captain, and tries to double his effort at regalvanizing them before the game, making sure everyone's stretched, juiced, and hugged even if they don't feel like being hugged.  
  
Their team handshake, a complicated series of interlocked hand gestures, claps, snaps and vocalizations, lacks the vigor that it usually has (which honestly, is not usually _that_ enthusiastic in the first place).  
  
Junmyeon refuses to give up, though. He thinks about the trophies in his room, and how long and how hard he's worked at this sport, and visualizes the gold. They haven't even started yet, why give up now?  
  
If they just pull together, maybe, just maybe—  
  
"Hey, Junmyeon, I was just wondering which of these pictures you'd want us to post?"  
  
It's Jongdae. Junmyeon doesn't have the energy for this. He's already wound up tighter than he should be. "I don't know, Jongdae, whichever one you think looks most flattering."  
  
Jongdae's grin drops at his remark. "Hey, you alright?"  
  
Junmyeon smiles tightly, feeling everything _but_. "I don't know."  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jongdae shrugs a shoulder. "There's some time before game starts and no one ever really plays their best when they're not feelin' well."  
  
"Do you..really want to hear?" Junmyeon asks, feeling a little incredulous. He's been... not doing so hot on the hashing out emotions scale, for himself or for his team, sure, but why would Jongdae want to listen to him talk about it?  
  
"Sure," Jongdae answers, his smile back. "Go ahead and unload. We won't be starting till a quarter till, at least."  
  
So Junmyeon does, and so absorbed in his conversation, he misses out on the fact that half of his team slips away without his notice.  
  
It also escapes his attention that Yifan comes over to their table, and that Yixing is complaining to him and Kyungsoo about the fact that Junmyeon's attention is on someone else.

Junmyeon talks about feeling stressed about having to constantly prioritize playing and The Team before everything else, but how that doesn't necessarily seem to be working, and how it's starting to blow up in his face, all the things that he's putting his energy into. How he's nervous about the game today because even with his all being dedicated to the season, he knows he's probably been pushing his teammates too hard, and maybe pushing them away when he shouldn't have been.  
  
Jongdae responds in kind, telling him about how a good team is always about a lot of listening and airing stuff out. "What's hard about Great Balls is that sometimes, we just bottle everything up until something explodes," Jongdae reveals. "You can't let that happen. You have to be bouncing off each other. Talking."  
  
Something about that makes Junmyeon want to write it down.  
  
"As for the game today," Jongdae adds, "You can talk to your team, but you gotta have one of these right?"  
  
Jongdae holds up the necklace around his neck, with a tiny little heart charm at the end. Junmyeon frowns. "I don't think I understand."  
  
"A lucky charm. Maybe something important someone gave you once?"  
  
Unconsciously, Yixing comes to mind. Junmyeon lifts his hand with his wrist guard on it though. "Yeah," he says, somehow feeling like he's lying. "This old thing." For safety, his mind supplies.  
  
Jongdae nods though. "It's your statement piece," he agrees. Something about this doesn't exactly sit right with him, but he's not about to argue with Jongdae, especially after he spent time hearing him out.

 

 

By the time they're done talking, it's about to be game time, and he and Jongdae part amicably. He feels a little better, he thinks, not bottling it all up.  
  
He goes back to Lucky Strike's lane, expecting to find his teammates, only to find Yifan laying down along the length of the bench with his head in Kyungsoo's lap and Yixing looking highly irritated. Everyone else is missing.  
  
"I'd appreciate it if consorting with our rival team's members was kept to a minimum on game day, Kyungsoo."  
  
It's not Kyungsoo that answers though. "You're one to fucking talk," Yixing snaps, eyes flicking up to meet Junmyeon's. He's never acted like that with him before, and seeing Yixing so agitated makes him worried. What's he done this time? "You were very chummy with Jongdae just then, weren't you?"  
  
Oh. Yixing was jealous. And Junmyeon was being an ass. A hypocritical ass. He tries to balance his initial reaction of glee at this with the fact that he's being an unfair captain. "You're...right. I'm sorry Kyungsoo, for being hypocritical." He offers an apologetic smile. "Yifan should still head back though. His team is probably looking for him."  
  
Kyungsoo nods, looking wary about whether he should be pleased or not that Junmyeon seems to be maturing suddenly as a team leader. He pinches Yifan's cheek before flicking gently at it. Yifan grabs his hand to kiss his knuckles gently, looking up to see Kyungsoo's lips quirking into a little pleased smirk. Junmyeon would be uncomfortable if he the time to be.  
  
"Where's Minseok, Tao and Sehun? It's about to be game time." Yifan moves to take off then, looking happy that he doesn't have to answer that question. Neither Yixing or Kyungsoo say anything, but Yifan's looking (in what he probably imagines is surreptitiously) in the direction of the bathroom.  
  
For god fucking sakes.

 

He finds Minseok, Tao, Sehun, and Jongin against the sink, all attached to one another by hand or mouth, and he loses it a little.

"Are you all fucking _serious_ right now?" Junmyeon asks, all but screaming, voice shrill. "It's game time. Can't this shit wait? I fucking swear to god, this whole team is about to go on fucking probation—"  
  
Everyone is frozen, but then Tao is taking his mouth off of Jongin's neck, voice dangerously low. "Fucking fine, Junmyeon. Put us on probation. Drop out of the season. Get a new fucking team, even. But don't think this isn't going to happen again, the way you run your teams. You can't even reciprocate your feelings for Yixing because of your absurd fucking rules! It's just bowling Junmyeon. It's supposed to be fucking fun!" he bellows.  
  
Tao moves to take Sehun's hand, storming out of the bathroom while he drags his boyfriend with him. Minseok and Jongin follow shortly after, looking at Junmyeon warily as they pass, hand in hand.  
  
Junmyeon stands there, seeing himself in the mirror, really seeing himself. It feels like it's been a long time since he has, and Jongdae's words about everything exploding when things get bottled up echo in his head. This was the result of micromanaging. Doing more of that isn't going to help, maybe never really did.

  
  
He goes out to collect his stuff, completely expecting that Tao had left with Sehun, and that they would have to forfeit because their team was incomplete.  
  
Instead, his team is all there, standing up when he comes over.  
  
"Hi captain," Sehun begins, looking a little guilty. It's the puppy eyes again. "Uh."  
  
"We know we messed up," Tao continues, lacing his fingers with his boyfriend's.  
  
"But we still want to play," Minseok adds, holding his own fingers, before Sehun reaches out for him.  
  
"If you'll let us," Kyungsoo joins, from his spot against the lane machine.  
  
"Will you let us? Do you still want this?" Yixing asks, looking, for the first time, jaded and unsure.  
  
Junmyeon takes a look around at them, calmly registering how much they all seem to actually _want_ this, _want_ to make it work.  
  
Carefully, he takes off his wrist guard, noticing the way his teammates seem to deflate. He then walks up to Yixing, taking to memorizing his face at this moment, before he's reaching forward to tug Yixing forward by the lapel of his bowling shirt, crushing his mouth to his. The kiss lasts a touch longer than he'd really thought it would, and he pulls away mouth tingling and cheeks burning.  
  
Yixing's dazed expression is worth it though. "Yeah," Junmyeon answers, finally. "Yeah, I want this. It's game day. No matter what happens out there, I want you all to know I'm proud of you and proud of this team."  
  
He pauses, looking around at his teammates. These are people he loves and cherishes. He can't believe he was pushing them away.  
  
"Who are we?" Junmyeon asks, smile tugging at his lips.  
  
"Lucky Strike," the rest of his team answers, similar smiles growing on familiar faces.  
  
"Who are we??" he repeats, raising his voice.  
  
"Lucky Strike!" they respond in kind.  
  
"Who are we???"  
  
"Lucky Strike!!!"

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> if you want to come yell at me, say hi, show support or are just curious, links to cc and twt, etc are on my [carrd](https://pricklyteeth.carrd.co/)! im friendly i promise
> 
> and as always comments are always welcome! (needed) please talk to me ab how you feel *^*


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